Prosecutor, defendant trade barbs in murder trial

Robert Dennis Dixon took the stand Thursday in his capital murder trial. He is accused of killing his stepmother, Sara Dixon, in 2007.

Sam Roberts / Times-News

By Michael D. Abernethy / Times-News

Published: Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at 06:41 PM.

GRAHAM — Tensions ran high Tuesday as an Alamance County prosecutor sparred with the defendant in a capital murder trial during an entire day of cross-examination.

Alamance County Assistant District Attorney Sean Boone asked Robert Dennis Dixon to account for significant gaps in information he initially gave investigators about the week his stepmother, Sara Dixon, was killed. Dennis Dixon said he forgot to mention that he spent Nov. 28, 2007 — the day of her killing — withdrawing $10,000, meeting with a co-defendant and paying that co-defendant $1,000.

Audio of an interview Dec. 1, 2007, showed that Dennis Dixon did remember he ate tacos for lunch the day before Sara Dixon’s body was found.

Boone quizzed Dennis Dixon about where he got crime scene information he allegedly shared with a neighbor in early December 2007. The details hadn’t been released to the public or family members, a lead detective on the case testified. Dennis Dixon said he heard the graphic details about her wounds from people talking outside her home Nov. 30, 2007, while investigators searched the scene.

“You told (the neighbor) because you relished that she was dead, didn’t you? You reveled in your arch enemy being dead,” Boone said.

GRAHAM — Tensions ran high Tuesday as an Alamance County prosecutor sparred with the defendant in a capital murder trial during an entire day of cross-examination.

Alamance County Assistant District Attorney Sean Boone asked Robert Dennis Dixon to account for significant gaps in information he initially gave investigators about the week his stepmother, Sara Dixon, was killed. Dennis Dixon said he forgot to mention that he spent Nov. 28, 2007 — the day of her killing — withdrawing $10,000, meeting with a co-defendant and paying that co-defendant $1,000.

Audio of an interview Dec. 1, 2007, showed that Dennis Dixon did remember he ate tacos for lunch the day before Sara Dixon’s body was found.

Boone quizzed Dennis Dixon about where he got crime scene information he allegedly shared with a neighbor in early December 2007. The details hadn’t been released to the public or family members, a lead detective on the case testified. Dennis Dixon said he heard the graphic details about her wounds from people talking outside her home Nov. 30, 2007, while investigators searched the scene.

“You told (the neighbor) because you relished that she was dead, didn’t you? You reveled in your arch enemy being dead,” Boone said.

Boone then placed a photo of Sara Dixon’s corpse before the defendant and asked him to describe the wounds. Dennis Dixon’s voice quavered as he did.

A few minutes later, Boone asked whether Dennis Dixon’s biological mother, who died of cancer in 1986, would approve of actions the state alleges he took, including calling Sara Dixon names and wishing her dead and sending emails to an ex-girlfriend while dating another woman.

“What kind of person did your mother raise you to be?” Boone asked.

“Not the kind you’re trying to make me out to be,” Dennis Dixon responded.

It was Dennis Dixon’s fourth day on the witness stand. He is charged with first-degree murder, first-degree burglary and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. The state believes he hired two men — Thomas Clay Friday, 40, and Matthew Devon Fields, 25 — to carry out a hit on his stepmother. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

The state argues that Dennis Dixon wanted Sara Dixon dead for placing his father in a nursing home. Bills for his care caused an estate administrator to begin selling family property, which otherwise would have been family inheritance.

The defense argues that Friday acted on his own after hearing Dennis Dixon describehating his stepmother and having access to some of his father’s money. Dennis Dixon testified Monday that Friday extorted him for money, knowing he was the prime suspect.

Boone alleged that Dennis Dixon could have stored some of $33,000 withdrawn in 2006 to pay Friday for the murder.

The defendant denied that allegation and numerous others. But there were many details and interactions surrounding the family and estate battle that he said couldn’t remember.

Boone accused Dennis Dixon of sneaking into his stepmother’s home at 2033 McCray Road, placing a blanket over her body and checking to see that she was dead. Christmas tinsel found in the home matched that found on Dixon’s tree. Friday, who already pleaded guilty to the murder, said he and Fields didn’t put the blanket on her.

Dennis Dixon denied going into the house or seeing her body in the bed.

“There’s one person who had a reason to go into that house, to verify the murder and to look in her dead face, isn’t that right?” Boone asked.

Despite having openly used expletives to describe Sara Dixon and telling at least two people he would pay to have her killed, Dennis Dixon first testified Tuesday that his relationship with Sara Dixon was “OK” and that there were “not really” any problems between them.

Documents showed that Dennis Dixon or his brother told nursing home attendants early in 2005 that Sara Dixon might try to poison their father. Dennis Dixon testified Tuesday that there were “general rumors” around Western Steakhouse to that effect, but couldn’t say who said that about her.

Just before afternoon recess, after hours of intense questioning by Boone, Dennis Dixon said he hated his stepmother.

The trial will resume at 9:30 a.m. today in the Alamance County Historic Courthouse.